Boy in critical condition after near-drowning

A 4-year-old boy was in critical condition after nearly drowned in a backyard pool in Encino Wednesday. Paramedics responded to a home on the 5700 block of North Babbitt Ave. in Encino Wednesday. The boy was rushed to a local hospital at about noon Wednesday. The boy was visiting a house in Encino and snuck away from the attention of the adults inside the house. He then found his way to the swimming pool.

"He was brought here by his grandmother," said LAPD Juvenile Division Capt. Fabian Lizarraga. "There were at least two adults in the household. They found him in the pool."

Investigators are still trying to determine how the boy found his way out to the pool. LAPD officers were at the scene for most of the afternoon Wednesday. A grief counselor from the city's Emergency Crisis Response Team spent time with the people at the home.

"Unfortunately, these accidents happen on a yearly basis here in Southern California," said Lizarraga. "It's just a tragic reminder to us all: When we have a swimming pool, when we have little kids, we have to keep an eye on them."

Officers from the LAPD Juvenile Division are asking homeowners to completely fence in their swimming pools.